Threatened Ecosystems
Protect and restore threatened ecosystems in Latah County and the Palouse region on a scale that supports the self-sustaining function of these ecosystems.
The conversion of land in Latah County from native bunchgrass prairie and timbered slopes to harvested forestland and agricultural fields began in the late 1800’s. Today less than six percent of the original native prairie remains and commercial stand management has largely replaced the natural processes that once shaped forestlands.
Within the Threatened Ecosystems resource of community concern, Latah SWCD efforts will focus on the following five ecosystem types and limiting factors:
Camas Meadows
Lowered Water Tables
Land Conversion
Invasive Plants
Ponderosa Pine
Altered Fire Regimes
Disease and Insects
Restoration and Preservation
Land Conversion
Pollinator habitat
Invasive Plants
Wetlands
Lowered Water Tables
Land Conversion
Invasive Plants
Canyon Grasslands
Livestock Grazing
Invasive Plants
Threatened Ecosystems Projects
LATAH SWCD is working on many types of projects that improve threatened ecosystems.
Meet Maynard Fosberg
Latah SWCD is happy to be working with Maynard, a retired soils professor who worked at the University of Idaho for 41 years. Maynard is now working as a Palouse Prairie restoration pioneer which has helped us all learn more about prairie restoration techniques and methods. He is restoring a former pasture of 5 acres to native Palouse Prairie vegetation. The pasture that was once dominated by smooth brome now supports a diverse stand of native grasses and wildflowers which makes it a haven for pollinators and other wildlife. Read more here
